A new study has found that almost a third of Americans admit they’ve worked remotely while on vacation without telling their bosses that they were away from home.
The poll, commissioned by Mews, a hospitality cloud system, and conducted by OnePoll, found that 52% of those polled used their vacation travels as a chance to work remotely, and 29% didn’t tell anyone at work.
While some workers may have been checking the pool temps instead of their emails, the poll did find that 39% explained they continued to work while traveling because they like what they do.
However, 28% said they only worked on vacation because it overlapped with an important work deadline, and 26% said they simply wanted to save their PTO.
For those who travel for work, the study found that 48% said they would extend their trips when the work was done for a little mini vacation.
When it comes to where people will work when on vacation, the majority (69%) said they would do so in their room, but a significant number did note that they enjoyed working from the hotel pool or spa (25%).
Richard Valtr, the founder of Mews, shared in a statement that the report comes as hotels and the hospitality industry look to offer more to their customers, including those who may work while on the go.
“The most innovative hotels are moving away from a room-centric vision of hospitality into one which embraces experiences, communities, and lifetime brand relationships,” Valtr said. “They offer different spaces and amenities, from coworking to yoga classes and bike rental, paying close attention to what each guest needs.”
This follows suit with the poll, which found that 74% of respondents said Americans are prioritizing travel more this year than last.
Included in that is 79% who say they are planning all their travels for this year “as soon as they possibly can.”
The poll included responses from 2,000 Americans and was completed from Jan. 30 to Feb. 8.